Scientists found Homo erectus 200,000 years earlier than expected
Archaeologists have identified Homo erectus fossils in South Africa dating back 2 million years, pushing back the known timeline of the species by 200,000 years. The findings provide new insights into the evolution of early human ancestors in the 'Cradle of Humankind'.
Why it matters
This discovery refines our understanding of human evolutionary history and the geographic origins of our direct ancestors.
Archaeologists from La Trobe University have described 18 newly published hominin fossils from South Africa, including a second skull fragment belonging to Homo erectus . The discovery adds stronger evidence that the species was present in southern Africa 2.0 million years ago, about 200,000 years earlier than traditionally believed.
The fossil collection also includes remains of P. robustus . Those specimens suggest the species was undergoing gradual evolutionary changes as it adapted to shifting environmental and climatic conditions.
Fossils From South Africa's Cradle of Humankind
The fossils come from Drimolen Main Quarry in South Africa's 'Cradle of Humankind,' one of the world's richest sites for remains of ancient human relatives. Although the quarry was discovered in 1992 and excavated through 2019, many of the fossils recovered there had never been formally described and remained largely unknown to science.
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